<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Bouquet for a Sunflower by Sapphoria</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213630">Bouquet for a Sunflower</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphoria/pseuds/Sapphoria'>Sapphoria</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Banter, Established Relationship, Flowers, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Language of Flowers, Love, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Sort Of, Spelling out feelings, Texting, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unbeta'd, thoughtfulness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:36:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213630</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphoria/pseuds/Sapphoria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack finds a bouquet of flowers on his doorstep after a particularly difficult mission.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zack Fair/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Slice of Clack: July 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bouquet for a Sunflower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello!<br/>Welcome to my week 3 entry for Slice of Clack. <br/>This time we're doing a take on Flower Language. </p>
<p>I mostly just wanted to do some banter. cute stuff. <br/>Please pardon any spelling errors! Unbeta'd</p>
<p>Anyway, Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Zack Fair was, in simple terms, downright exhausted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The mission had gone to hell the instant he was assigned to it and just got worse as the situation progressed. He was the only soldier who was assigned to the minor pointless monster hunt with only hardass cadets for backup. Not even a fun hardass cadet he knew. Just some wannabe tough guys who thought they could be cocky and have no skill whatsoever to back it up. Zack even had to save their asses a few times, which would have been fine if they hadn’t been so stubborn when asking for help. But what could you expect. The guys wanted to prove themselves, and he could respect that to an extent. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So from there, he was dog tired as he dragged his feet up to his apartment door and fumbled around in his pockets for his keys. He shifted on his worn boots and blinked, hearing the faintest crunch under his feet before he looked down. In the lowly lit hallway, he saw a neatly constructed bouquet of flowers. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he knelt down to pick them up, bunched together neatly with a black band, he hummed quietly to himself. Sunflowers, and pretty ones at that. He almost could have thought they were fake if not for the light, sweet scent that drifted off them. He blinked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Weird, where’d these come from… Flowers don’t usually grow in Midgar. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zack cradled the mysterious bouquet in the crook of his arm before he shoved his retrieved keys into the lock and pressed inside into the darkness of his Shinra appointed housing. He flicked on the light and walked into the small kitchenette he was provided with and fumbled around his cabinets until he found an old pale purple vase. He breathed in deeply, yawning as he waited for the vase to partially fill with water before he placed it onto the counter. He examined the flowers under the brighter light of the kitchen and cocked his eyebrow curiously as he turned them in his hands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He Settled the bouquet into the freshwater with a small, private smile to himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bet you little guys were thirsty.” he mumbled lowly, patting the yellow petals of a flower lightly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> He blinked when a small piece of paper, rolled into the side and shoved into the band holding the flowers together, slipped from the band and landed on the counter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Curiously, the first reached down and scooped the note into his hand. He unfurled it and gasped quietly, a warm tug pulling at his heart of what he saw on the note, short messy handwriting that attempted to look neater as it went. He could recognize it anywhere. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Welcome back. See you soon. Heard things were rough. Rest.’ </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zack smiled to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow, his beloved cadet had gotten the scoop that he probably needed a ‘pick me up’ after his shitty mission. No doubt Kunsel’s fault, spreading his business. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But he silently guessed he had to thank the guy, if it led to Cloud doing something sappy like leave him flowers. He’d have to spill his secrets more often. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud was a fairly reserved guy, quietly flushing and ducking away when Zack had moved in too quickly or showed public affection. But when he felt like it, he could really show how much he had a heart. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zack sighed quietly, smiling softly as he gazed at the beautiful sunflowers in the low light of his apartment. He pulled his PHS from his pocket and shot off a text to the certain blonde, even though it was so late. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He answered back almost immediately. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Hey, Spike. Just got in. :) </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Strife: ….[Typing]</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Hey. Welcome back. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: A secret admirer left me flowers! I wonder who that could be ;)</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Yeah, big mystery. Who would want to send you anything. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: :P</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Excuse you, I’m charming and you know it. I have plenty of admirers! </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Yeah, Yeah</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Strife: Was the mission okay? Heard rumors.</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Fair: That bad, huh? It was fine. Just had my hands full. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Gotcha. </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Fair: Hey, Spike? Thanks. </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Strife: For what?</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Don’t play coy, buddy. The flowers. They’re nice. How’d you get ‘em? </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: It’s no big deal, Went on my own mission to Costa del Sol and got them before we came back yesterday. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Do you like them? </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Obviously. I even put them in a nice fancy vase. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: It really made my night. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Well… Good. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Saw them and thought of you, I guess. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Awww why’s that? ;D </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Besides your godsawful swim trunks?</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Mean. They’re great, jealous bones. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Haha. Just reminded me of you. Bright. Big and loud looking. But nice. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Dude, i’m going to cry on you when I see you next. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: You better not… </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: LOL just joking. But really. That was really nice to come home too. Thank you, Cloud. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Seriously, it’s nothing major. You’d do the same. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: :0 Am I allowed? Next mission, you’re getting it. A big stack of flowers in your barrack bunk, right there for all your squad mates to see! </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Zack. </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Fair: Hehe Aerith would even help me get a whole cartful, if I asked her to. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Zack. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Lol joking. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: But. For real. You’re a thoughtful guy, Cloud Strife. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: You know I love you, right? </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: [Typing] </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Yeah, I know. You too. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Aww you’re shy even over texts. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Am not. </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>Fair: Are so. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Dummy. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Jerk. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Puppy. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Chocobo. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: I love you too, Zack. Just. It takes me a bit. To hype myself up. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: I know, Cloudy. And you can take your time. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife:... thanks. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Well. I’m about to pass out. I have to catch some Z’s before it’s 5am already and Sephiroth slams me with paperwork. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: True. Rest up, okay? </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Will do! You too. Don’t work yourself too hard. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: I won’t. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Yeah, sure. I’ll be on the hunt for you tomorrow, just to make sure. ;)</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Looking forward to it. </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Fair: Lol Night</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Strife: Goodnight</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud hummed lowly to himself, flipping closed his PHS and shoving it back into his uniform pocket. He stood at the ready on guard duty in a nearly abandoned hall in the lower depths of the Shinra building. His usually pale cheeks were flushed, knowing Zack had gotten his little gift and liked it so much. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His sighed quietly, resting his rifle up against his shoulder and looking forward. His mind drifted back to Zack’s question. </span>
  <b>
    <em>Why’s that? </em>
  </b>
  <span>Zack had questioned. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His thought process was simple. He’d read about the meaning of flowers a long time ago, back when he and his mother were snowed in one particularly bad winter in the mountains of Nibelheim. He could remember it clear as day, even now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sunflowers symbolize adoration, loyalty and longevity. </span>
  </em>
  <span>All those characteristics had reminded him of the remarkable man he’d grown so close to at his time in Shinra. Zack Fair was an enigma of a man, a beacon of positivity in a sea of steel, mako, and soldiers. He felt it in his heart whenever he looked at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The adoration, the loyalty, all that existed between them and felt real and sacred. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud just hoped Zack understood the depth of his feeling, maybe he eventually would in the little hints he left. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe he’d get some more flowers… </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Any and all feedback is appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>